The Offended Generation

The last time you looked, the 20th Century was dead. Dead but obviously not buried in the minds and hearts of millions. And to help keep the 20th Century alive, behavioral scientists and social scientists have made careers out of carving up these millions of Americans and dropping them into their respective generational boxes. These experts say you belong to The Silent Generation. Before you, The Greatest Generation saved the world. You helped begat the Baby Boomers. In rapid succession, then, technology welcomed Generations X, Y and Z, fondly “baptized” by some as Lost, Millennials and Boomlets. These designations are just too complicated, too confusing, too vague. Therefore, with sincerest apologies to social scholars everywhere, you recommend combining these latest generations into a single illustrious category. FANFARE, please: INTRODUCING — The Offended Generation. Anyone with half a heart looks with compassion upon these beleaguered millions who suffer under a daily barrage of insults and disrespect. Routinely, minorities are the first victims. But as it happens, nearly everyone in the Offended Generation happens to be a member of some minority. Most recently, one such member epitomized anguish to a degree so intense that every major news media put her horrific story at the top of the news day. Her story was more compelling than American deaths on foreign shores, more meaningful than nuclear threats from North Korea and more repulsive than murder on Detroit’s dingy streets. Her name is Jourdan Rodrigue, a Charlotte Observer sports reporter who was verbally assaulted by a 6’5″, 245 lb. professional football player. When this young, innocent, female journalist asked Cam Newton a simple question, he laughed derisively, impugning her knowledge and belittling her competence. Poor baby. How humiliating. How offensive. No one should be subjected to this type of bellicose treatment, especially in the presence of her peers at a news conference. And predictably as ever, those very peers and the entire sports media cavalry came galloping to her rescue. ESPN led the charge, swords drawn. The Charlotte Observer said his comments were “inexcusable.” Celebrities and former NFL stars, now turned commentators, were unanimous in their denunciation. The Newton condemnation was swift and unrelenting. The talking points were clear. Sport journalists are ethical, resolute, sincere, objective professionals who deserve to be treated with utmost respect — especially those sensitive females who courageously enter male dominated spaces. There’s no room for the off-remark or the sexist insinuation. And certainly no room for outright rudeness. In a semi paradoxical twist, athletes like Newton must concede that even they are members of The Offended Generation, as they defiantly display their own damaged feelings — on bended knee. Meanwhile, those of you from past generations better walk on eggshells. The Thought Police have you in their sights. You don’t understand or want to understand Boomers I, Boomers II, Millennials or the Z people. You prefer to remember another day, when women were ladies and males were men; when people were resilient; when teens were adults and when even children dealt with hurt feelings on their own. You remember when growing up meant sucking it up. The Greatest Generation taught you that. And they taught you a lot more, They taught you by example — about responsibility, accountability and independence. Try as you might, you don’t recall ever being offended, or knowing anyone who complained of being offended or even hearing the word “offended.” You were too busy. So was everyone else. Including female journalists.

 

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